Photo: Judge: Alaska Constitution requires benefit parity

Julie Schmidt, left, Gayle Schuh and Jeffrey Mittman with the American Civil Liberties Union speak at a news conference last year in Anchorage. An Anchorage judge on Monday ruled Alaska same-sex couples are entitled to the same senior citizen and disabled veteran property tax exemptions as married couples. The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the state of Alaska and the municipality of Anchorage on behalf of Schmidt and Schuh and two other same-sex couples, claiming the state of Alaska's tax assessment rules providing exemptions for senior citizens and disabled veterans discriminate against same-sex couples.

Julie Schmidt, left, Gayle Schuh and Jeffrey Mittman with the American Civil Liberties Union speak at a news conference last year in Anchorage. An Anchorage judge on Monday ruled Alaska same-sex couples are entitled to the same senior citizen and disabled veteran property tax exemptions as married couples. The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the state of Alaska and the municipality of Anchorage on behalf of Schmidt and Schuh and two other same-sex couples, claiming the state of Alaska’s tax assessment rules providing exemptions for senior citizens and disabled veterans discriminate against same-sex couples.